Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 132 / Friday, July 10, 1998 / Notices 37407

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT–050–1020–01; UTU–76188]

Proposed Classification Decision,

State Indemnity Selection

The Utah State School and

Institutional Trust Lands

Administration has filed a petition for

classification and application to acquire

the public lands, including the mineral

estate, described below, under the

provisions of Act of Congress of August

17, 1958 (72 Stat. 928) as amended, and

the acts supplementary and amendatory

thereto. This application has been

assigned Serial Number UTU–76188.

The Bureau of Land Management will

examine these lands for evidence of

prior valid existing rights or other

statutory constraints that would bar

transfer. This proposed classification is

pursuant to Title 43, CFR 2400; and

Section 7 of the Act of June 28, 1934.

Information concerning these lands

and the proposed transfer to the State of

Utah may be obtained from the Bureau

of Land Management, Richfield District

Office, 150 East 900 North, Richfield,

Utah 84701.

For a period of 60 days from the date

of publication of this notice in the

Federal Register, all persons who wish

to submit comments, suggestions, or

objections in connection with the

proposed classification may present

their views in writing to the State

Director, Bureau of Land Management,

324 South State Street, P.O. Box 45155,

Salt Lake City, Utah 84145–0155.

Any adverse comments will be

evaluated by the State Director who will

issue a notice of determination to

proceed with, modify, or cancel the

action. In the absence of any action by

the State Director, this classification

action will become the final

determination of the Department of the

Interior.

As provided by Title 43 CFR

2450.4(c), public hearing may be

scheduled by the State Director if he

determines that sufficient public

interest exists to warrant the time and

expense of a hearing.

The lands included in the proposed

classification are located within Garfield

County, Utah, and are described as

follows:

Salt Lake Meridian, Utah

T. 36 S., R. 11 E.,

Section 15: All

Section 29: W1⁄2SW1⁄4, SE1⁄4SW1⁄4,

W1⁄2SE1⁄4

T. 37 S., R. 11 E.,

Section 5: All.

Containing 1480 acres.

Individuals and corporations holding

valid leases, permits, and/or rights-ofway on the public lands described

above have been or will be notified of

the proposed classification. Rights-ofway granted by the Bureau of Land

Management on the above lands will

transfer with the land, the transfer

document will be subject to the rightsof-way, or the rights-of-way may be

reserved to the United States (see

Section 508 of FLPMA). Oil and gas

leases (geothermal, other leasing act

minerals) will remain in effect under the

terms and conditions of the lease. (Upon

expiration or termination of the leases,

or any authorized extensions thereof,

such rights shall automatically vest in

the State.)

State law and School and Institutional

Trust Lands Administration procedures

provide for the offering to holders of

Bureau of Land Management grazing

permits, licenses, or leases the first right

to lease lands that are transferred to the

State. This Classification notice

constitutes official notice to holders of

grazing use authorizations from the

Bureau of Land Management that such

authorizations will be terminated in part

upon transfer of the land described

above to the State of Utah.

For a period of 45 days from the date

of first publication indicated below,

persons asserting a claim to or interest

in the described lands, other than

holders of leases, permits, or rights-ofway may file such claim with the State

Director, Bureau of Land Management,

324 South State Street, P.O. Box 45155,

Salt Lake City, Utah 84145–0155, with

evidence that a copy thereof has been

served on the State of Utah, School and

Institutional Trust Lands

Administration.

Dated: July 2, 1998.

G. William Lamb,

State Director.

[FR Doc. 98–18388 Filed 7–9–98 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY–040–06–1610–00]

Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM), Green River

Resource Area, Rock Springs District,

Wyoming, announces: (1) the

availability of the Record of Decision

(ROD) for the Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) for the Green River

Resource Management Plan (RMP), (2)

the approved Green River RMP, and (3)

notice of off-road vehicle designations

for the Green River Resource Area.

SUMMARY: The ROD identifies the

selection and approval of the Green

River RMP. The Green River RMP

presents multiple use management

prescriptions for about 3.6 million acres

of public land surface and 3.7 million

acres of Federal mineral estate,

administered by the BLM, in portions of

Sweetwater, Fremont, Lincoln, Uinta,

and Sublette counties in southwest

Wyoming.

The draft EIS for the Green River RMP

was made available for public review

and comment in November of 1992.

Comments received on the draft EIS

were considered in preparing the

proposed Green River RMP and final

EIS which was made available for

public review and protest in May of

1996.

Management prescriptions are

presented in the Green River RMP for all

BLM-administered public land and

resource uses and values found within

the planning area, including the

following: air quality, cultural

resources, fire management, forests and

woodlands, hazardous materials, lands

and realty management, livestock

grazing, minerals, off-road vehicles,

outdoor recreation, special status

species, vegetation, visual resources,

watershed, wild horses, wildlife, and

special management areas. Since

wilderness values are addressed in other

documents, the Green River RMP does

not address them.

The Green River RMP is a

comprehensive multiple-use land use

plan. It is a refinement of the preferred

alternative presented in the draft EIS

and the proposed RMP presented in the

final EIS. While the intent and content

of the Green River RMP are not different

from the proposed RMP, comments from

the public, review by BLM staff, and

new information obtained since the

distribution of the final EIS have

prompted some wording clarifications

in the RMP.

This Federal Register Notice serves as

the notice for the off-road vehicle (ORV)

designations for the Green River

Resource Area as identified in the Green

River RMP. The ORV designations are

described underSUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION in this notice.

This notice also serves to meet the

criteria for public notification of linear

or site rights-of-way within floodplains

as required by BLM Manual 7221 except

for those associated with perennial

streams. The BLM will solicit public

comment on site facilities or major
37408 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 132 / Friday, July 10, 1998 / Notices

linear rights-of-way along perennial

streams unless another agency (Federal,

State, or local) already has solicited

such comments.

ADDRESSES: Information on the Green

River RMP may be obtained from the

Green River Resource Area Office, 280

Highway 191 North, Rock Springs,

Wyoming 82901, (307) 352–0256.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stan

McKee, Green River Resource Area

Manager, or Rene ́e Dana, Green River

RMP Team Leader, at the Rock Springs

BLM District Office, 280 Highway 191

North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901,

(307) 352–0256. Copies of the ROD and

Green River RMP are available from the

Green River Resource Area Office.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Eight

protests were submitted during the 30-

day protest period for the proposed

Green River RMP. All of the protests

were responded to and resolved by the

Director of the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM). Resolution of the

protests required some minor

corrections and wording clarification

but did not result in changing any of the

proposed Green River RMP decisions.

The Green River RMP provides the

interim management direction for those

BLM-administered public lands along

waterways that were determined to meet

the suitability factors for further

consideration for inclusion in the Wild

and Scenic Rivers System (WSRS).

Seven parcels of BLM-administered

lands, along a total of about 9.7 miles of

the Sweetwater River, have been found

to meet the suitability factors to be given

further consideration for inclusion in

the WSRS. Tentative classifications of

the various parcels include wild (about

5.8 miles), scenic (about 0.5 miles), and

recreational (about 3.4 miles). The

interim management of these parcels

will continue until Congress decides to

consider them further for possible

inclusion in the WSRS.

The Green River RMP includes

identification of the Federal coal lands

in the Green River Resource Area that

are acceptable for further leasing

consideration.

The Green River RMP includes

designations of Areas of Critical

Environmental Concern (ACEC). Seven

prior ACEC designations are retained (or

modified):

—Cedar Canyon ACEC (approximately

2,550 acres) with management

priority and emphasis given to

maintaining or enhancing important

cultural, scenic, and wildlife habitat

values.

—Greater Red Creek ACEC

(approximately 131,890 acres—the

original Red Creek ACEC of 55,880

acres was expanded to include the

Currant Creek and Sage Creek

drainages) with management priority

and emphasis given to maintaining or

enhancing fragile soils, Colorado

River cutthroat trout, and water

quality values.

—Greater Sand Dunes ACEC

(approximately 38,650 acres) with

management priority and emphasis

given to maintaining or enhancing

unique and unusual geological

features associated with the sand

dunes and Boars Tusk, and the

diverse biological interrelationships

supported by the sand dunes,

especially the dependent plants and

animals.

—Natural Corrals ACEC (approximately

1,276 acres) with management

priority and emphasis given to

maintaining or enhancing the unique

and important cultural, historical,

recreational, and geological values.

—Oregon Buttes ACEC (approximately

3,450 acres) with management

priority and emphasis given to

maintaining or enhancing the historic

landmark, significant wildlife values,

and the scenic integrity.

—Pine Springs ACEC (expanded from

90 acres to approximately 6,030 acres

to include adjacent relevant and

important values) with management

priority and emphasis given to

maintaining or enhancing the

important cultural, historic, and

prehistoric resource values.

—White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC

(approximately 20 acres) with

management priority and emphasis

given to maintaining or enhancing the

educational opportunities and

important cultural, wildlife, scenic,

and Native American values.

Three new areas are designated

ACECs:

—South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC

(approximately 53,780 acres) with

management priority and emphasis

given to maintaining or enhancing the

visual and historical integrity of

historic trails and their surrounding

viewscape.

—Special Status (Candidate) Plants

ACEC (four separate locations

totalling approximately 900 acres)

with management priority and

emphasis given to maintaining or

enhancing these species and their

habitats.

—Steamboat Mountain ACEC

(approximately 43,270 acres) with

management priority and emphasis

given to maintaining or enhancing the

wildlife habitats and vegetation

communities.

The management actions for each

ACEC include conditional requirements

for surface disturbing activities and

other land uses such as limitations on

oil and gas and coal exploration and

development activities, geophysical

exploration, right-of-way construction,

and vehicular travel. Portions of the

ACECs may be closed to future locatable

mineral exploration and development

subject to valid existing rights. The level

of these vary in each ACEC.

Six areas are designated Special

Recreation Management Areas (SRMAs):

—The Greater Sand Dunes (about 38,650

acres).

—The Oregon, Mormon Pioneer,

California, and Pony Express National

Historic Trails (about 125 miles).

—The Continental Divide National

Scenic Trail and the Continental

Divide Snowmobile Trail (about 24

miles).

—The Green River (about 4,048 acres).

—The Wind River Front (about 261,080

acres).

The remainder of the BLM-administered

public lands in the Green River

Resource Area are designated an

Extensive Recreation Management Area

(ERMA).

Five backcountry byways are also

designated: the Tri-Territory Loop, the

Lander Road, Red Desert, Fort LaClede

Loop, and the Firehole-Little Mountain

Loop.

Management of wilderness values is

not addressed in the Green River RMP.

The twelve wilderness study areas

(WSAs) within the Green River

Resource Area are addressed in the

‘‘Rock Springs District Wilderness Final

EIS,’’ September 1990, and the ‘‘Adobe

Town-Ferris Mountains Wilderness

Final EIS,’’ December 1987.

The Green River RMP includes the

following Off-Road Vehicle (ORV)

designations: areas open to off-road

vehicular use, areas with use limitations

(i.e., limited to seasonal use, limited to

existing roads and trails, and limited to

designated roads and trails), and areas

closed to vehicular use. (Note: The areas

designated as limited seasonally and

limited to designated roads and trails,

overlap one another as do the areas

designated as limited seasonally and

limited to existing roads and trails.)

Maps of the ORV designations are on

file in the Green River Resource Area

Office.

Specific designations are as follows:

A. Open Designation (approximately

10,500 acres). Vehicle travel is

permitted both on and off roads in the

eastern portion of the Greater Sand

Dunes Area of Critical Environmental

Concern (ACEC) (about 10,500 acres).
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 132 / Friday, July 10, 1998 / Notices 37409

Vehicle use is confined to the active

sand dunes within the 10,500 acres.

B. Limited Designations:

1. Motorized vehicle travel is limited

to existing roads and trails except

during certain periods of the year when

areas may be closed to all vehicles

(approximately 1,627,955 acres). Acres

may not total because of overlap.

a. Big game crucial winter ranges

(about 1,500,000 acres) are limited

through seasonal closures (November

15–April 30 as needed) to reduce stress

on wintering animals. Closure to overthe-snow vehicles will be evaluated on

a case-by-case basis in conjunction with

the Wyoming Game and Fish

Department.

b. Deer parturition areas (about 40,880

acres) are limited through seasonal

closures (May 1 to June 30 as needed)

to reduce stress on deer.

c. Elk calving areas (about 85,830

acres) are limited through seasonal

closures (to be decided by biologist—

May 1 to June 30 as needed) to reduce

stress on elk.

d. Moose calving areas (about 410

acres) are limited through seasonal

closures (to be decided by biologist—

May 1 to June 30 as needed) to reduce

stress on moose.

e. Raptor nesting areas (about 835

acres) are limited through seasonal

closures (February 1 through July 31 as

needed) to protect nesting raptors.

f. Steamboat Mountain (about 15,981

acres) is limited through seasonal

closures (to be determined, but usually

between May 1 and June 30) to protect

wildlife values (big game birthing areas

are of particular concern).

2. Motorized vehicle travel is limited

to designated roads and trails only on

approximately 1,006,336 acres. Vehicle

use in these areas will be managed the

same as under the existing roads and

trails designation until the designation

is implemented on the ground (i.e., until

the designated roads are identified and

signs or notices are put in place). Acres

may not total because of overlap.

a. Adobe Town-Haystacks (about

54,000 acres) to protect fragile and

highly erodible soils.

b. Cedar Canyon ACEC (about 2,550

acres) to protect wildlife and cultural

values (includes over-the-snow

vehicles).

c. Dug Springs Stage Station (about 10

acres) to protect historic values.

d. Greater Red Creek ACEC (about

123,870 acres) (includes the Currant

Creek and Sage Creek watersheds, and

remainder of Red Creek watershed) to

protect watershed values.

e. An area adjacent to the Green River

city limits (about 4,500 acres within a 2-

mile radius around the city limits) to

reduce impacts from ORV freeplay.

f. LaBarge Bluff Petroglyphs (about

100 acres within 1⁄2 mile surrounding

the petroglyphs) to protect cultural

values.

g. LaClede Stage Station (about 10

acres) to protect historic values.

h. Monument Valley (about 69,940

acres) to protect paleontological

resource values and watershed values.

i. Natural Corrals ACEC (about 1,300

acres) to protect cultural, historic, and

geologic resource values.

j. North and South Table Mountains

(about 1,280 acres) to protect cultural

and wildlife values.

k. Parting of the Ways (about 40 acres)

to protect historical values.

l. Pine Mountain (about 64,200 acres)

to protect watershed values.

m. Red Desert (about 245,480 acres) to

protect scenic resource values.

n. South Pass (about 33,700 acres) to

protect cultural values.

o. Steamboat Mountain ACEC (about

43,270 acres) to protect wildlife values.

p. Steep slopes of White Mountain

(about 68,640 acres) to protect

watershed and visual values.

q. Sugarloaf Basin (about 85,880

acres) to protect watershed values.

r. Sugarloaf Petroglyphs (about 350

acres within 1⁄2 mile radius) to protect

cultural values.

s. Tolar Petroglyphs (about 310 acres

within 1⁄2 mile radius) to protect

cultural values.

t. White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC

(about 480 acres within 1⁄2 mile

surrounding the petroglyphs) to protect

cultural values.

u. Wind River Front Special

Recreation Management area (about

260,580 acres) to protect the nearby

Class I airshed, scenic, watershed, and

wildlife values; recreation use; and

riparian and vegetation resources.

3. Motorized vehicle travel is limited

to existing roads and trails on

approximately 2,436,595 acres. Acres

may not total because of overlap.

a. General Green River Resource Area

(about 2,436,595 acres) to reduce

resource damage.

b. Greater Sand Dunes ACEC (Eastern

Portion) (about 5,810 acres of stabilized

dunes) to protect resource values.

c. Pine Springs ACEC (about 730 acres

outside the WSA and original 90-acre

site) to protect resource values.

d. Riparian areas (about 8,730 acres)

to protect riparian and watershed

values. During muddy conditions,

vehicle travel may be limited to protect

soil and watershed values.

C. Closed Designations

(approximately 181,570 acres). Acres

may not total because of overlap.

1. The following areas are closed to

vehicle use.

a. Crookston Ranch (about 40 acres) in

the Greater Sand Dunes ACEC to protect

cultural and historic site.

b. Dry Sandy Swales (about 20 acres)

to protect integrity of setting and soils.

c. Road around Boars Tusk and the

Boars Tusk (about 90 acres) to preserve

its value as a geologic feature.

d. LaBarge Bluffs Petroglyphs (about

20 acres) to protect cultural values.

e. Natural Corrals National Register of

Historic Places site (about 20 acres and

the trail [about 1⁄2 mile] to the spring) to

protect wildlife and cultural values.

f. Oregon Buttes (about 3,450 acres) to

protect historic, wildlife, and scenic

resource values, and adjacent WSA

values.

g. Pine Springs (about 5,390 acres

within the Pine Springs ACEC) to

protect cultural, historic, and

prehistoric resource values.

h. Prehistoric Quarry site (about 160

acres) to protect cultural values.

i. Special Status Plant Species (about

3,610 acres) to protect plant

populations.

j. Sugarloaf Petroglyph site (about 20

acres) to protect cultural values.

k. Tolar Petroglyph site (about 20

acres) to protect cultural values.

l. Wilderness Study Areas (to protect

naturalness, solitude, and opportunities

for unconfined recreation):

Buffalo Hump: 10,300 acres

South Pinnacles: 10,800 acres

Sand Dunes: 27,109 acres

Alkali Basin-East Sand Dunes: 12,800

acres

Alkali Draw: 16,990 acres

Red Lake: 9,515 acres

Honeycomb Buttes: 41,188 acres

Oregon Buttes: 5,700 acres

Whitehorse Creek: 4,002 acres

Devils Playground-Twin Buttes: 23,841

acres

Red Creek Badlands: 8,020 acres

Parties who are interested in and who

wish to be involved in future activity

planning and implementation of

management actions that may involve or

affect the resource values addressed in

the Green River RMP are requested to

identify themselves. Please contact the

Green River Resource Area Office at the

above address and request to be placed

on a future contact list for activity

planning and implementation activities

concerning the Green River RMP.

Dated: July 2, 1998.

Alan R. Pierson,

State Director.

[FR Doc. 98–18336 Filed 7–9–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P